Tokyo: Japan, South Korea and China agreed on Saturday (March 22) that peace in the Korean peninsula was a common responsibility, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Seoul, at a meeting of the main diplomats from the three countries in which they are committed to promoting cooperation.
The talks followed a rare trilateral summit in May from last year in Seoul where the neighbors – torn apart by historical and territorial disputes – have agreed to deepen the links and obtain their objective of a naked Korean peninsula.
But they come as American trade rates are looming in the regionand as the concerns are rising on weapons tests of North Korea and its deployment of troops to support the Russian war against Ukraine.
“We reaffirmed that peace and stability in the Korean peninsula is a shared interest and responsibility of the three countries,” said Cho Tae-Yul of South Korea on Saturday.
“In addition, I stressed that illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea should be immediately interrupted,” he said.
Seoul and Tokyo generally adopt a stronger line against North Korea than China, which remains one of the most important allies and economic benefactors of Pyongyang.
Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya said that he, Cho, and Wang Yi of China “had a frank exchange of views on trilateral cooperation and regional international affairs … and have confirmed that we will promote cooperation oriented towards the future”.
